Mom
Staring at an empty screen I wonder what it is that I need
to say. Do I want to talk about work, or relationships, or my Mom? Mom wins.
The
second-best case scenario of what is happening to Mom is a disease called Lewy
Body Dementia. It travels in the same circles as Alzheimer’s disease and
Parkinson’s disease. I say the second-best case for one simple reason, I hope
that the cause for what she is going through lies in her medication. But deep
down I know that is not the case. Her
medication has changed and yet she still suffers.
She is so hard on herself. She wonders why
she can not remember. She becomes
frustrated that she does the opposite of what she wants to accomplish. Her short-term
memory is deteriorating. It is surreal. Yet, her stories of times past are vivid, filled
with love and humor. Once again she is my story teller. She has never been one to exaggerate the
truth, so I listen knowing that all I hear is real. Stories I have heard before
have become my lifeline. I need to hear
them.
As always she is beautiful, and kind. She hates to be a
burden. I tell her she will never be one. I am grateful that I have her. When I
call her and she remembers how to use the phone, I know it is a wonderful day.
When she forgets, I teach her how to use it. In that moment when it comes back to her, all is good in the world. Little victories.
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